New Delhi: Reacting to the controversial statement by senior party leader Yashwant Sinha on Tuesday demanding the resignation of president Nitin Gadkari, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Sinha`s
opinion was own.

However, he added that the statement given by Yashwant Sinha to the press was `inappropriate`.
Briefing the press Ravishankar Prasad said, “Yashwant Sinha is a senior BJP leader and party has given him forum to express his views. This is highly unacceptable that inspite of the forum Yaswant Sinha gave a public statement against party president Nitin Gadkari.”
"The party would appeal to him to reconsider his stand," Ravi Shankar Prasad further said

Earlier today, Yashwant Sinha had demanded Gadkari’s resignation, saying those in public life should be beyond reproach.

Speaking to a TV news channel, Sinha said, “Whether Gadkari is guilty or not is not the issue. But those in public life should be beyond reproach.”

“I do not care if Gadkari is clean or guilty. But he should quit,” he was quoted as saying.

The internal tussle in the BJP over continuation of Nitin Gadkari as party president has resurfaced again.

Though the party sought to contain the damage by asking Sinha to reconsider his remarks, the fresh row is likely to provide ammunition to the Congress to shift focus on the BJP on the issue of corruption during the session beginning Nov 22.

Sinha`s remarks came after determined efforts by the BJP to end internal tensions and scotch speculations about Gadkari not getting a clean chit from the party over financial dealings of the Purti group he is linked to.

Financial analyst S. Gurumurthy, who had briefed the BJP core group Nov 6 about his probe into the financial dealings of Purti, had last week reiterated that there was no moral or legal wrongdoing by Gadkari.

Gurumurthy, a chartered accountant considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), wrote a letter to Gadkari that he wished to formally place on record his views -- earlier expressed at the party`s core committee meeting here Nov 6 -- which had led the party giving a virtual clean chit to its chief.

Gurumurthy wrote that he found no wrongdoing by Gadkari in documents related to Purti and accused the media of giving a political colour to the issue following some of his tweets.

The rift in the Sangh Parivar over allegations against Gadkari has been resurfacing over th past month.

Party MP Ram Jethmalani had demanded that Gadkari should resign and not seek a second term as party president.

His son Mahesh Jethmalani had resigned from the party`s national executive on the issue.

Party leader Uma Bharti had sought to snub Ram Jethmalani over his remarks but Jagadish Shettigar, a member of party`s national executive, also suggested that Gadkari should resign.

RSS ideologue MG Vaidya had indicated that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was behind Gadkari`s troubles, but both the BJP and RSS denied any linkage.

Gadkari had taken over as BJP president in Dec 2009.

He is facing probe over financial dealings of investor companies in Purti group.